The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1887-04-06


The railroad building boom still
continues in Arkansas, notwlthstand.
ing the passage OF the iron clad rail
road law. Once more the country
has escaped theoretical ruin.
The two classes of people most de-
lighted with the new railroad law
are those who wanted extreme legis-
Iation on the subject and those who
wanted none at all. Which is de-
ceived2
The administration of the Smith
railroad law is left to the fourteen
circuit courts in the State. Each
must settle the same question arts
ing in it's own district. One ruling
BY commission would settle it for
the whole state.
In discussing bill to limit the
price of goods sold upon a mortgage,
the other day, Senator Barker made
a very savage attack upon the mcr-
chants Of the State. Senator Cazort,
of johnson county, warmly defended
them and led successfully the oppo-
sition to the bill.
Two months from now it will be
difficult to tell whether it was boom
or a Kansas cyclone that has recent
ly struck some of the towns in Ar.
kansas. The genuine boom has no
"wind' in it. There is a common
belief that cyclone has, especially
il raised in Kansas.
The entomologist was quite con-
spicuous in the Legislature, and
prosecuted his favorite science very
zealously, if not so successfully. We
refer, in a polite way, to the fellow
who was always looking for bug
under the chip. He was both active
and numerous.
1t is commended by some of the
supporters of the new railroad law
that it is a more liberal measure
than the House commission bill.
One side or the other is mistaken
about this, largely due, perhaps, to
an inability to recognize liberality
when they see it.
The able editor will now turn him
self loose on "The Last Legislature"
and cuss, and cuss, and cuss. But
he who undertakes to ignore the sew
eral really excellent measures passed,
while denouncing it for that which
is bad, will reap neither honor nor
profit as critic. Reason always
tempers effective criticism.
Several felicitous little occasions
rounded off the end of the Legisla
tive session in the Senate. Gold
headed canes were presented rather
promiscuously; and Senators Ander-
son and Mcconnell bid fearful and
afectlonate farewell to their col
leagues and to public life. Hopes
of happy meeting lin the better
world to come" were freely INDUCED,
but we have grave doubts if all "the
boys" secure election to seats in the
General Assembly of the First Born
The bill recognizing the State
University and making it primarily
an agricultural and Industrial school
for boys alone is now a law. With
this definite plan agreed upon, con-
tinued tinkering with the lnstitu-
tion should stop and the important
work Of building up should proceed,
uninterrupted. Liberal appropria-
tons have been made, both for i'm
provements and current expenses,
and the University has a splendid
field for development.
Almost every State paper that
comes to this office tells OF a recently
developed local boom. In fact, booms
have lately become as common in
Arkansas as violnlsts are said to be
in certain we'll populated winter
resort A boom is good thing to
have in community, If it be the
genuine article; and that is the sort
that seems to invade Arkansas. But
a boom is about as hard to manage
as Texas steer and must be held
well in hand, if possible, and not
permitted to escape; otherwise it
may assume the shape of boom
erang and hurt somebody.